In Israel, the WHO World Health Report (2003) indicates an adult mortality¹⁴⁴ rate per 1000 population of 98 for males and 53 for females (crude death rate 6.18 deaths/1,000 population and life expectancy at birth (total population) 79.17 years (2004 estimate)¹⁴⁵ (see Table 6).

Life expectancy for males is 78 years; for females 82 years. Healthy life expectancy is 70.5 for males; 72.3 for females.¹⁴⁶

Table 6: MECC member country death rates and life expectancy at birth (total population)*

*World Factbook estimate 2004 ¹⁴⁷

The primary cause of death in Israel is cardio-vascular and heart disease (31 % of total deaths). Cancer is the second commonest cause of death. In 2000 there were a total 8878 deaths reported from cancer (23 % of total deaths).

In 2002 around 21,000 new cases of cancer were reported; 54% new cases diagnosed in men and women over 65 years old. The commonest cancer in men is lung cancer (4.5 % of all new cases). Lung cancer accounts for 9.7 % of all cancer deaths. The commonest cancer in women is breast cancer (15 % of all new cases). Breast cancer accounts for 10.3 % of all cancer deaths.¹⁴⁸

Israel has a relatively low prevalence of HIV/AIDS. Updated UNAIDS estimates at the end of 2004, suggest that around 5000 people with HIV/AIDS were living in Israel, with an adult (15 – 49 years old) prevalence of between 0.1% - 0.2%.¹⁴⁹ There were no estimates given of HIV infection rates in women or children (0-14 years) or for that year’s number of deaths from the disease. The UNAIDS ‘Assessment of the epidemiological situation 2004’ reports that:
 
‘During the period between 1980 and the end of June, 2003, 3,802 new cases of HIV/AIDS were registered among them: 915 have developed AIDS and 539 have died. It is estimated that approximately 5,000 people are currently living with HIV/AIDS in Israel. An HIV/AIDS registry has existed since the beginning of the epidemic. HIV testing is systematic among blood donors and prisoners and among select groups of immigrants from HIV-hyper-endemic countries. Testing is confidential and free of charge for any person requesting the service. Testing is done at all community clinics, all across the country. Since the mid-90's there has been a slight but steady increase in new HIV cases detected annually in Israel.’¹⁵⁰

An epidemiological study on the change in rates and pattern of infection in Israel from 1991- 2000 reports a rise in HIV incidence, thought to be mainly influenced by immigration of people from countries with a high incidence of the disease.¹⁵¹

Since the mid 1990s, an Israeli NGO The Jerusalem AIDS Project has run regular training workshops for health professionals and ‘supports an ongoing network of concerned health professionals, devoted to AIDS prevention.’¹⁵²